Consumer Information on Hearing Aids

Consumer information on hearing aids is important if you experience complications with your hearing. There are many different types of hearing devices available in today's market.

In fact, in 2010 there were over 400 new models. By knowing which types are best suited for your personal needs, you will be able to successfully narrow down the choices that will benefit you as an individual.

These devices work to amplify the sounds that may be heard. These devices are sold in a wide assortment of styles and there are hearing aids available for all budgets. In this guide on consumer information on hearing aids, you will discover important information pertaining to the types of hearing devices available and how to choose one that is appropriate for you.

Prior to Making a Purchase

If you are looking for consumer information on hearing aids, it is important to understand that there are several steps that should be taken prior to making a purchase.

These steps will assist you in choosing the most appropriate hearing device for your needs. First, it is essential to ensure that you have a checkup performed by an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist. The professional that performs an evaluation on the ears will attempt to rule out medical conditions that could result in hearing loss.

There are certain situations such as an increase in the amount of wax contained in the ear, various types of infections or even abnormal growths that could result in the onset of hearing loss and deafness. By having a hearing test performed, you are validating that a hearing aid is, in fact, necessary.

If it is found that you suffer from hearing loss that could benefit from a hearing aid device, it is important to do your homework before making a purchase. Your hearing specialist will make a recommendation on which hearing device he or she believes will correct your hearing loss.

But how do you know this is the best hearing instrument for your hearing loss? Are they recommending a particular aid because they happen to carry that brand. Is he recommending the most expensive aid? Would a less expensive model do just as a good a job as the top of the line device?

A little consumer information on hearing aids will go a long way when discussing your hearing loss and a suitable hearing aid with your specialist. If nothing else, it will help you ask a few educated questions.

The Consumer's Guide to Hearing Aids

There isn't a tremendous amount of resources to help you in this area. However, there is a book called the Consumer's Guide to Hearing Aids. It's touted as "The World's Only Third-Party Source of Hearing Aid Comparisons".

The guide compares 24 manufacturers and over 400 models. I admit The Consumer's Guide to Hearing Aids is a little technical and somewhat hard to understand all the data. But it is a great resource to help you determine the quality of an individual hearing aid.

For example, your audiologist tells you that the Starkey S Series 11 hearing aid is the a top of the line, high-tech hearing device. So how do you know for sure? Go to the guide and lookup Starkey and find the S Series 11. You see that it is ranked as a premium digital hearing aid and your audiologist does indeed know what she is talking about.

Hearing aids are categorized into one of four different technology levels. Entry Level, Basic, Advanced, and Premium Digital Hearing Aids.

And if you like all the technical data.....well it has a lot of that too. You can learn all about bands, channels, speech enhancement, noise reduction, limiting compression, feedback cancellation, etc.

The Consumer's Guide to Hearing Aids also gives some practical information as well. Such as how many memories each aid has. Does it come with a remote control, Bluetooth Wireless Technology, or battery charger.

Pricing

The Consumer's Guide will give you pricing information on each level of technology. Pricing on hearing instruments can vary greatly from one dispenser to another. It's a good idea to do a little research in this area as well.

If you would like to order your copy of The Consumer's Guide to Hearing Aids, I would be glad to send you a copy. Please click on the "Buy Now" button above and I will mail you a copy.